Hiya
Yesterday saw me doing the largest felt project I've done yet. My gosh, I can't believe it was so easy. I did a cot cover for V's expectant cousin form the cashmere and wool that the kids did their best to ruin. I had to recard the lot - thankfully I've borrowed a drum carder from the Guild, but still it took me about an hour. Then when I tried to spin it I realised that the yarn would be too fine for me to work comfortably and I don't have anywhere near the time for fine spinning anyway, not this close to Christmas. But I had promised them something lovely in cashmere for their new daughter and so it must be.
Now previously I've only made saucer felt, you know the stuff you can make in a saucer and there is nothing to it because you can see it form right under your hands. There's no calico, no bubble wrap, just rubber gloves and a bit of energy. But I thought - well, I'm not going to spin it and it's just going to sit in my stash making me feel guilty well into 2008 or I can give it a go for wet felting and it can only go two ways. And fortunately it worked out just fine. It has no holes and indeed is of quite uniform thickness. One might almost suppose that I knew what I was doing!
Carded it up 30/70 cashmere and finest merino into batts off the machine, laid it out on the dining table, criss cross, bish bash bosh, jazzed it up with some space dyed tussah silk in "rosebasket" by winghams in streaks and circles
and wrapped the whole lot in an old sheet and bubble wrap. I must say that bubble wrap really kept the heat in really well and it made the felting go a lot easier too.
I was pleased that it didn't felt to the sheet too badly and after a little remilling it smoothed down nicely again. I am really pleased with it especially considering that I am a complete beginner at this. And it feels so soft and warm. Mind, it has fabulous fibres in it. There is no way I could have afforded to buy a handmade cot blanket in such materials in a store or a craft market. I guess that is the fun of being time rich rather than cash rich.
I will post a picture of it in a few days, that is to say, V will when his break starts cos for the life of me I cannot get the hang of that darned camera. So expect a wave of pics to roll across this blog starting tomorrow...
or tomorrow...
or tomorrow.
(pics added 30th December!)
And while he's doing that I'll be making a start on the batt of lilac and pink wool and silk that I got from Hereford qute soon.
Yesterday saw me doing the largest felt project I've done yet. My gosh, I can't believe it was so easy. I did a cot cover for V's expectant cousin form the cashmere and wool that the kids did their best to ruin. I had to recard the lot - thankfully I've borrowed a drum carder from the Guild, but still it took me about an hour. Then when I tried to spin it I realised that the yarn would be too fine for me to work comfortably and I don't have anywhere near the time for fine spinning anyway, not this close to Christmas. But I had promised them something lovely in cashmere for their new daughter and so it must be.
Now previously I've only made saucer felt, you know the stuff you can make in a saucer and there is nothing to it because you can see it form right under your hands. There's no calico, no bubble wrap, just rubber gloves and a bit of energy. But I thought - well, I'm not going to spin it and it's just going to sit in my stash making me feel guilty well into 2008 or I can give it a go for wet felting and it can only go two ways. And fortunately it worked out just fine. It has no holes and indeed is of quite uniform thickness. One might almost suppose that I knew what I was doing!
Carded it up 30/70 cashmere and finest merino into batts off the machine, laid it out on the dining table, criss cross, bish bash bosh, jazzed it up with some space dyed tussah silk in "rosebasket" by winghams in streaks and circles
and wrapped the whole lot in an old sheet and bubble wrap. I must say that bubble wrap really kept the heat in really well and it made the felting go a lot easier too.
I was pleased that it didn't felt to the sheet too badly and after a little remilling it smoothed down nicely again. I am really pleased with it especially considering that I am a complete beginner at this. And it feels so soft and warm. Mind, it has fabulous fibres in it. There is no way I could have afforded to buy a handmade cot blanket in such materials in a store or a craft market. I guess that is the fun of being time rich rather than cash rich.
I will post a picture of it in a few days, that is to say, V will when his break starts cos for the life of me I cannot get the hang of that darned camera. So expect a wave of pics to roll across this blog starting tomorrow...
or tomorrow...
or tomorrow.
(pics added 30th December!)
And while he's doing that I'll be making a start on the batt of lilac and pink wool and silk that I got from Hereford qute soon.
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